I'll remember you (right next to my "Dog is My Co-Pilot" sticker)

Since I've moved to Southern California, I've noticed hundreds of cars with memorial decals attached to their back windows. These decals usually list a person's name, along with birth year and year of death. I cannot begin to describe how common these are; I don't think I have ever driven across town without seeing at least one. I don't remember seeing these at all in Texas or in the Midwest, so they strike me as a strange tradition.

The question I have for the AD community is thus: do you see these in your respective stomping grounds? If so, how many? Again, I am constantly amazed at how many I see everyday. I'm wondering if it has something to do with Southern California car culture-- one's car is something of one's public self, since most Southern California denizens spend so much time in them. Could that have something to do with these decals-as-public-memorial? Personally, I find it strange-- I'm not sure I would choose to memorialize a lost loved one with a sticker on my back window, which is why I'm interested in this phenomenon. The decals cut across class boundaries, too. I've seen them on BMW's and junker hatchbacks, with more or less equal frequency.

Any thoughts?